(Image source from: Men's Health India)

It is quite a lot man and woman’s wish to have six-pack abs since no matter how much we aim to grow steel abs, the actuality is that person’s fitness levels are defined by neither six packs nor the folds on the stomach.

But then, in case you are aiming to develop six pack or eight pack abs, make a note that it is not necessarily healthy. This is not to say that abs are completely unhealthy, or one shouldn't exercise or train one's core abdominal muscles. The point is that washboard abs are not a sign of strength and as a matter of fact, your endeavors to get six packs may prove unsafe. 

We all have abdominal muscles usually called abs, they are just not in sight because of the fat layer deposited over it. To develop a six pack or eight pack abs one must have to cut down overall body fat percentage and bring it down to at the minimum 10 percent in males and 15 percent in females.

It is as well necessary to take note that one will not develop six pack by doing crunches all day long. There are a lot of dangers associated with the development of abs.

Note that six-pack abs and a strong core are two different things. Your core is healthy if you can effortlessly climb a rope with a slam ball if you can squat with a full range of motions by putting on heavyweights, otherwise, if you can carry through other compound exercises like deadlifts and Overhead Press(OHP) using a decent amount of weights.

It is essential to train your core. You can strengthen up your core by performing isometric exercises like plank core. Our core supports the spine, and while lifting weights, they are engaged. Hang up on pull up bar and perform activities like high knee raise and toe to bar straight leg raise with the intention of strengthening your core, not to develop washboard abs.

Reasons Why Abs are Unhealthy

To get six pack abs, men are required to have a less than 10 percent of body fat and for females, it is 15 percent.

Nevertheless, as per doctors, for a healthy body, men should have body fat ranging from 12 to 15 percentage and women should have 16-20 percentage.

According to Michael Yessis, author of Kinesiology of exercise, overdoing of abs exercise can lead to flattening of lumbar curve thereby leading to a weakened spinal structure.

Famous personal trainer and author Leena Mogre told Times of India that, "Maintaining a six-pack isn't healthy for your body."

She further elaborated by saying that actors not only have trained experts with them at every step but also have lightning, makeup up and special effects to enhance their looks.

-Sowmya Sangam